Page 83 of Craig

"He drives people away."

"We eat breakfast with him. Stop being such a baby about it."

To his annoyance, he had hunched his shoulders. "He has a crush on you."

She had laughed that sultry, sexy laugh of hers and made him feel like an idiot.

"I'm flattered." Then she had disarmed and charmed him by winding her arms around his neck and kissing him until he was hot all over.

Christ! And the old man's face when he saw them both at the dining table in the smaller dining room had been priceless.

Shaking his head, he took a sip of coffee from his go cup and watched as men swarmed the roof.

"Looking good, my man," Matthew drawled in his Southern accent. Craig turned to look at him with a grin, taking in the burly figure and the shiny dome of his head.

The red plaid shirt he had on stretched across his broad shoulders and highlighted his bulging forearms.

"I didn't know you were coming by."

"I had someone take over for me at the restaurant." He shielded his eyes with one hand and squinted.

"I had to come and see for myself. You hired an army."

"The only way to get it done quickly. We're looking at a December opening, remember?"

"Yeah." Lowering his hand, Matthew took out a crushed packet of Marlboros, shook one out, his brow arching in inquiry.

When Craig shook his head, he clamped the cigarette between very white teeth and used the lighter. "I cannot wait."

"What're you going to do about the restaurant?"

"Maxine is dying to get rid of me." He grinned around his cigarette as he spoke of his wife of eight years.

"She has plans to introduce some Jamaican food, jerk chicken, oxtail, and all that. She's an enterprising woman, my Max."

"Sounds good."

"You should swing by with that supermodel wife of yours. I wouldn't mind getting another eyeful of her."

"Watch your tongue," Craig growled.

Matthew turned fully around to eye the man. He had met Craig Muldoon when he came into his restaurant one sultry afternoon right after losing his parents.

Matthew had seen the glazed look of grief in the younger man's eyes and brought him his famous red pea soup and a beer. He had kept an eye on him throughout the evening and eventually slid into the booth to join him.

The conversation had been casual on his part, but it had gotten Craig to open up and spew out his grief.

They had become fast friends after that.

"You're all the way gone, aren't you?" Matthew cackled.

"The love 'em and leave 'em Craig Muldoon is over the moon over a woman."

"Not just any woman," he muttered darkly. "Regina's special."

"She's out of your league, my friend."

"Don't I know it. Now shut up about it and let's go take a closer look."